


There is no such thing as chance encounters

by JeanBlaze



Category: Fairy Tail, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Humor, Makarov's speeches, drunken madness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 04:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5276894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanBlaze/pseuds/JeanBlaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-series TRC. Syaoran is beginning to get depressed after revisiting the places he had once visited with Sakura. He needs to meet new people... or so Kuro-puu says. Can some time in Fairy Tail help out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tsubasa meets Fairy Tail

The evening sky was lit up in various shades of orange and red as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. A flowing river reflected these colours off its calm waters, making it look like a twisting, sparkling road. The banks of the river were covered with a lush carpet of soft grass. A young boy and two men were sitting on the grass, relaxing and enjoying the view.

“This does feel good” Fai said, stretching his arms over his head.

“The country of Koryo seems to be a lot more peaceful now” Syaoran was lying on his back, his eyes gazing at the small puffs of fluffy white clouds that dotted the sky.

“I’m just thankful I’m not mending anybody’s roof this time” Kurogane had tucked his hands behind his head and was sitting with his back rested on a rock.

“Well if you miss to so much, how about I break my roof and give you the honour?”

They turned around and saw a young woman with flowing black hair, dressed in long, flowing red and blue robes walking towards them.

“Chunhyang! You’re back!” Mokona bounced right into Chunhyang’s waiting arms.

“Sorry I kept you guys waiting” Chunhyang said, sitting down, “The meeting in town hall just took too long”

“Oh, don’t worry about it” Fai said.

“How long has it been since you last saw us?” Syaoran asked.

“Almost five and a half years I think” Chunhyang answered, “Koryo has changed a lot. We got rid of the feudal system and established a peoples’ government. The representatives are chosen through elections, so everyone gets a fair chance”

“And you are the head of the government, right? The Prime Minister?”

“Yup”

“Looks like you’ve got your stuff together” Kurogane looked at Chunhyang from the corner of his eye, “You’ll be fine kid”

“It’s all thanks you to you guys” Chunhyang smiled. She then turned to Syaoran, “How is Sakura-chan?”

The smile on the young boy’s face dropped on hearing the princess’ name. But before anyone could notice, he regained his composure and said, “She is doing very well”

Fai and Kurogane did notice, however.

“The sun has finally set” Fai said, giving Kurogane a meaningful look.

The ninja caught on, “Yeah, we should get going”

The group headed back to the house where Chunhyang lived – Fai, Mokona and Chunhyang chatting the whole time while Kurogane gave a few inputs. Syaoran, on the other hand, trailed behind them silently. They reached the house, had dinner, then gathered their things and prepared to sleep, and through it all, the boy hardly uttered a word. When a question was directed at him, he simply forced a smile and gave a vague answer.

“If this keeps up, Syaoran-kun is going to end up depressed” Fai whispered to Kurogane, casting a worried glance at the boy, whose back was turned to them. Syaoran had laid down his futon a little away from them. Kurogane and Fai had quietly accepted his unspoken request for privacy.

“After all the worlds we have been visiting recently, what do you expect?” Kurogane whispered back.

After travelling the worlds for about five hundred and twenty days, the group had reached Watanuki’s shop. And then they had finally found their way back to Clow. Seven days passed by very quickly however, and they had to leave. A hundred and two days had passed since and in that time, all the worlds the travellers found themselves in were the worlds they had previously visited when Sakura was with them. This had made them miss Sakura even more, but, obviously, Syaoran felt the worst of it.

“Should we ask Watanuki-kun for help?” Fai asked.

“And give what in return? We don’t have anything” Kurogane answered, “We need to go somewhere new, see some fresh faces, that will fix that kid. Till then, let’s hope he can hold on”

**XXX**

“Cut the connection, Mokona. I’ve seen what I needed to see” Watanuki took a long drag from his pipe.

The circle of light, which held the image of Fai and Kurogane flickered and died.

“Spying is not your style, Watanuki” Mokona pouted, “You do have a very good reason right?”

“Of course I do”

Watanuki got up and made his way to the shop’s storeroom. Mokona hopped in his wake.

“So what is the reason?”

“When I sent Syaoran-kun and the others to Clow, I knew this would happen” Watanuki answered. His eyes were sweeping the storeroom, searching. “So I planned ahead. I just needed to know the right time”

His eyes finally found what they were looking for – a smooth, onyx black scrying bowl. Picked it up and brought it back to the parlour.

“It’s time to ask Makarov-san for payment” he said, pouring water into the basin. He closed his eyes and muttered a spell.

The basin glowed brightly and a few seconds later an image formed on the waters’ surface. It showed a rectangular room. A number of beds were lined up against the longer walls. Each bed was separated from its neighbour by yellow curtains. Near one of the beds in the far end of the room, stood a short, bald old man. He had tufts of white hair jumping out from behind his ears and a fluffy white moustache.

“It’s good to be standing up again” the man said, rotating his right arm energetically.

“I’m glad to see you are well, Makarov-san” Watanuki said.

Makarov jumped and flailed around to find the source of the voice. When he saw Watanuki smiling at him from one of the mirrors, he relaxed.

“Watanuki-kun, you startled me”

“I apologise”

“Oh no, no. Don’t” Makarov grinned, “I should be more alert. I am the Master of one of the most troublesome guilds after all” Then he lowered his voice and added, “THE most troublesome guild more like…”

“I see the herbs I gave Poluchka-san worked very well”

“Yes. Thank you for that, Watanuki-kun. I feel young again”

“But you do realize that the medicine is just temporary, you need to take of your health more”

“You sound just like Poluchka”

The silly grin on Makarov’s face was replaced by a solemn smile. “What did contact me for, Watanuki-kun? Obviously not just to ask about my health”

“Perceptive as always, Makarov-san” Watanuki replied with a sly smile, “Since the wish has been fulfilled, I will be requiring payment now”

“And what will that be?” A small crease appeared between the old mans’ eyebrows.

“There will be three people arriving in Magnolia soon. I want you and your guild to extend your hospitality to them for as long as they stay there”

Makarov was surprised, he had expected a bigger price.

“That’s a very simple request, Watanuki-kun” Makarov said, “Is that really all?”

“Yes, Makarov-san” Watanuki replied, “I restored your health. And in return, spending some time with Fairy Tail will restore the mental peace of one of the three travellers”

“I see” Makarov then beamed, “No problem whatsoever then! Plus, it’s Hanami tomorrow. The more, the merrier”

“I will be taking my leave then” Watanuki smiled and cut the connection.

**XXX**

“Syaoran! Kuro-puu! Fai! Wake up!” Mokona hopped, “The earring is shining, we have to go!”

“Is it time already?” Fai asked, stifling a yawn.

“Stop with those nicknames, you stupid pork bun” Kurogane mumbled.

“What’s going on you guys?” Chunhyang walked in, rubbing her eyes.

“It’s time for us to leave, Chunhyang-san” Syaoran replied while Fai and Kurogane quickly gathered their things.

“Already!? But you just got here!”

“When Mokona says it’s time to go, it’s time to go” Fai smiled.

“Alright. But do come back okay”

“We will!” Fai chimed. Kurogane raised a hand in acknowledgement while Syaoran smiled and nodded.

Wings sprouted from Mokona’s back and a magic circle appeared beneath their feet. Winds gathered around them and the ground melted and rose up and swallowed them whole. A second later, the travellers found themselves in the interdimensional space, hurtling towards their next destination.

**XXX**

“It’s Hanami tomorrow!” Lucy squealed, “I can’t wait”

“I’m really looking forward to it myself” Wendy added.

“I really don’t understand why this is such a big deal” Carla sighed.

“I still have so much do!” Lucy continued “I still have to decide what to pack for lunch, then I need to bake cookies, then I need to pick what clothes to wear, then I need to decide how I should tie my hair!”

“So this is how Earthland women behave during a festival” Lily observed.

“You are making too much fuss about it you know” Gray said.

“But I am so excited!” Lucy pouted, “It’s my first Hanami since I joined the guild”

“Who cares about the sakura!?” Natsu roared, jumping around the table where they were seated, “The bingo tournament is what’s important! I will win the tournament for sure!”

Happy flew around him singing, “Aye sir!”

Gray swiftly got up and stopped Natsu. “Stop shouting already, you dolt. You are giving me headache”

“How dare you!” Natsu yelled back, “You walking around in your underpants is burning my eyes out!”

“Here they go again” Lucy sighed as Natsu and Gray continued yelling.

“I WILL GET YOU FOR THAT, YOU SLANT-EYED BASTARD”

“SHUT UP, YOU DROOPY-EYED JACKASS”

Erza was just about to break up the fight when the roof of the guild seemed to twist and melt. A huge glob separated and dropped, falling straight on top of Gray and Natsu. Several gasps echoed throughout the guild hall, and Wendy and Lucy screamed when the glob broke open, revealing a confused Syaoran, a beaming Fai and an annoyed Kurogane. Gray and Natsu were pinned below them.

“Juvia, did you improve your skills and learn how to make people fall out of the sky?” Happy asked.

Everybody in the guild had formed a circle around to see what was going on.

“Juvia did no such thing!” she gasped. On catching a glimpse of Gray she added, “Gray-sama! Are you alright!?”

“For once I’m not the one pinned down” Kurogane smirked, moving out of the way so Gray could sit up straight.

“My, my, we have gathered a lot of attention, haven’t we?” Fai said, looking around.

“I am so sorry” Syaoran said, helping Natsu up.

“Who the hell are you guys?” Natsu and Gray spoke at the same time.

“DON’T COPY ME, FROST MAN!”

“I COULD SAY THE SAME, FLAMETHROWER”

“So lively!” Fai cooed.

“Where have you landed us this time pork bun?” Kurogane asked, pulling Mokona’s cheeks.

Suddenly, twenty or so swords appeared, surrounding Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane… and for some reason, Gray and Natsu. The crowd parted and Erza walked up to them. “Who are you and how did land right in the middle of our guild!?” she asked, glaring at the intruders.

“Who the hell do you think…?” Kurogane began but Fai interrupted, “Don’t Kuro-tan. We have trespassed on their property after all”

“Hey Erza, why are your swords pointing at us too?” Gray asked.

“You two are in the way” Erza snapped.

“Now, now, Erza. We should probably let them speak before threatening them” Mirajane said, giving them a warm smile.

Natsu sniffed the air around Syaoran and said, “Yeah, I don’t smell any danger on them”

“As if you can smell something like that” Gray said.

“SHUT UP!”

“Natsu’s nose is not something to sneeze at” Erza said thoughtfully.

“That she wants to believe” Lucy said with a weak laugh.

“This is messed up” Kurogane mumbled.

“I think it’s fun” Fai beamed. He then pointed at Syaoran and said, “Besides, Syaoran-kun seems to be enjoying it”

It was true. The brooding face was gone, to be replaced by the curiosity that had not graced the boys’ features in a long, long time.

“Fine, I’ll listen to what they have to say” Erza announced. The swords around them vanished instantly.

“Why don’t you all get off the floor and sit comfortably on a chair?” Mirajane offered.

The travellers took up the offer and seated themselves on the chairs nearby.

“Well…” Syaoran began hesitantly. Everyone in the guild were looking at him expectantly, which made him nervous. Fai gave the boy an encouraging nod. This soothed his nerves somewhat and he continued,

“My name is Syaoran. This is Fai” The blonde waved at everyone, “And this is Kurogane” the ninja raised his hand. “We are travellers”

“That means you have been to various lands, right?” Natsu asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, “Have you ever met a dragon named Igneel?”

Erza clonked him hard on the head. “Natsu, do not interrupt someone when they are speaking!”

“Aye sir” Natsu moaned, rubbing the victimized spot.

“I don’t know who Igneel is, Natsu-san” Syaoran said, “We don’t know anything about this world actually”

“What do you mean by ‘this world’?” Lucy asked.

“We are from another dimension!” Mokona answered, hopping in front of Lucy.

“You are so cute!” Lucy sang. Mokona giggled in response.

“So you are from Edolas then?” Erza asked.

“I have never seen them in Edolas…” Lily said.

“We are not from Edolas” Syaoran answered.

“So… you mean there are there are other dimensions apart from Edolas!?” Lucy asked.

“Yup” Fai beamed.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence as each and every single person in the guild simply stared at the newcomers, their minds processing and digesting this new information. And then suddenly, all of them spoke at once, asking a million different questions at the same time. The fact that Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane were trespassers was forgotten – they were given food and drinks and were treated like guests of honour.

“This is going to be very interesting, don’t you think Kuro-mu?” Fai grinned.

Kurogane only huffed in reply.


	2. Hanami

Makarov entered the guild hall to find all of his wizards chattering away.

On one end, Natsu and Gray were roaring with laughter.

“You… named… him… Big Doggie” Natsu panted.

“I didn’t know the language of that country, so I had to improvise” Fai beamed.

“So then what did you name yourself?” Gray asked.

“Big Kitty!” Fai answered with a grin.

Natsu and Gray fell off their chair howling. Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Erza, Juvia, and Elfman were nearby too, laughing at the story.

“Oh come on, don’t play with us Fai-san” Lucy wiped the tears in her eyes, “This can’t be true”

“You can ask Kuro-muro himself” Fai pointed at the ninja with a flourish.

“I’M NOT ANSWERING ANYTHING!” Kurogane yelled, an angry vein bulging on his forehead.

“Kurogane-san is so loud” Happy lilted.

“So loud! So loud!” Mokona echoed.

“That reaction is a clear indication that the story is true” Gajeel noted, who was sitting next to Kurogane. Lily nodded in agreement.

“Accepting nicknames is also a sign that you are a man!” Elfman declared.

On the other end of the hall, Syaoran, Levy, Jet, Droy, Macao, Wakaba and Freed were hunched over a map of Fiore.

“This is the country of Fiore” Levy was saying, “And this is Magnolia” She pointed at the map.

“So can everyone in Fiore can perform magic?” Syaoran asked.

“No” Freed answered, “Only some people can perform magic. Those who take up magic as their profession are called wizards. Wizards band together to form guilds”

“What is the purpose of forming a guild?”

Levy answered this time, “In guilds, information is shared. When anyone in the non-magic populace wants a certain job done, adverts are given to the guilds and wizards complete the job in return for money”

Syaoran listened with unwavering attention, “And Fairy Tail is one such guild?”

“Fairy Tail is not just any guild, we are the best” Jet said.

“We are the coolest” Droy agreed.

“Man, this kid is absorbing all this like a sponge” Macao said, impressed.

“Only if all of the younger generation could be like this” Wakaba sighed.

“What is going on here?” Makarov asked no one in particular, “I see new faces”

“Oh, there you are Master!” Mirajane smiled, “While you were gone, these three people fell out of the sky. Everyone has taken a liking to them”

“Dropped out of the sky!?”

“Yo Gramps!” Natsu called out, “We made new friends!”

Everyone turned their attention to their guild master.

“Syaoran-kun, Fai-san, Kurogane-san, this is the master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar” Mirajane introduced.

The three travellers came forward to greet the man.

“We are sorry for the intrusion” Syaoran said, bowing deeply.

“You three must be the ones Watanuki-kun told me about” Makarov said, squinting at them.

“You know Watanuki-kun?” Fai asked.

“Yes, yes! He told me that three travellers would be arriving in Magnolia soon”

“Kimihiro really thinks everything through” Syaoran smiled.

“You call him by name” Makarov noted, “You two must be really close”

“We are” Syaoran replied.

“Welcome to Fairy Tail” Makarov smiled.

He then clapped his hands and said, “Alright, everyone listen up!” When he was certain that he had everybody’s attention, he crossed his arms and continued, “Those who call themselves wizards should never neglect sharpening their skills. They should polish their techniques, and perform jobs on request and earn their daily bread. For as there will be sunny days, surely there will be rainy ones; for as there will be days in which work is finished without trouble, surely there will be days which are nothing but an uphill struggle. However, no matter what happens, tomorrow will always come! And we shall continue to walk the path, as wizards. That’s what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!”

Makarov’s speech was met with zealous cheers and whistles.

“Hyuu~! That was very inspiring, wasn’t it?” Fai chirped.

“It was” Syaoran nodded.

“I thought that was a little too dramatic to be honest” Kurogane mumbled.

When Makarov spoke again, the atmosphere in the guild changed from inspired to excited.

“Everyone! You’ve really hard this past year! And so, in honour of your hard work, tomorrow will be the long-awaited, super-fun Hanami party!” Makarov announced, waving his arms enthusiastically.

The guild members cheered even more loudly.

“Also, we have three very special guests with us who will be joining today’s pre-celebration and tomorrow’s party!” Makarov waved towards Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane, “Let’s show them what Fairy Tail parties are like! Drink! Drink!”

“Makarov-san! Is it really ok for us to join you? Isn’t this a guild tradition?” Syaoran struggled to make himself heard over all the shouts and cheers.

“No problem at all, my boy! The more, the merrier” With that, Makarov chugged an entire pint of beer.

“LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!” he declared, his face flushed already.

Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane had never, ever, in their entire lives, seen a bunch as loud and boisterous as Fairy Tail. Within thirty minutes, almost every single one of them were drunk senseless, but still, they continued to scream and shout and dance around. The level of energy was just unbelievable. And it was definitely a welcome change of pace for the dimensional travellers.

“Oye! Syaoran-kun! Drink up, drink up! Don’t be shy!” Natsu said, shoving another pint into Syaoran’s hands.

Syaoran looked at the glass in his hands, then looked at Kurogane uncertainly.

“Have fun kid, everyone here is basically losing it anyway” Kurogane grunted, taking a swing out of his own glass.

Syaoran smiled and emptied the contents of his glass. The boy hadn’t even set his glass on the table when Natsu dragged him towards the bar for more alcohol.

“Kuro-daddy is so cute!” Fai sang, patting Kurogane’s head. The faint flush on blondes’ face showed that he was buzzed too.

“So cute! So cute!” Happy echoed.

“Aye sir!” Mokona, in her drunk state, decided to use Happy’s signature line.

Fai, Mokona and Happy began giggling uncontrollably. Soon, Wendy’s giggles joined them too.

“Wendy! You were not supposed drink at all!” Carla scolded, but the words fell on deaf ears.

Fai started meowing and it didn’t take long for Happy, Mokona and Wendy to pitch in too. In a matter of minutes, all four of them were dancing around the guild hall, mewling and giggling. Somewhere along the way, they bumped into Lisanna, who enthusiastically joined them.

“This is messed up, completely messed up” Kurogane slammed his empty cup into the wooden table. It definitely brought back memories from Outo.

“I hear ya” Gajeel nodded solemnly, “Everyone’s acting like their heads are in the clouds”

“I don’t understand the traditions of this land” Lily took another swing from his glass, “It’s just cherry blossom season”

Near the bar, Syaoran was sitting in between Lucy and Levi, who were telling him about the different kinds of magic used in Fiore.

“Levy-chan uses Solid Script magic” Lucy said, “She can transform written words into three dimensional objects. The objects also take on the attributes of what is written”

“That is amazing!” Syaoran said. Then turning to Levy, he asked “What kind of magic does Lucy-san use?”

“Lu-chan is a celestial wizard” Levy answered, “She uses a set of magical gate keys to summon celestial spirits. It is really impressive magic and very rare too. Lu-chan is one of the very few celestial wizards remaining. It’s so cool, don’t you think?”

Syaoran nodded furiously.

“Oh it’s nothing” Lucy blushed.

Syaoran was about to say something when an insanely loud shout pulled his attention away.

“I AM SO FIRED UP I TELL YA!”

Natsu was standing right in the centre of the guild hall, belching flames.

“HANAMI HERE I COME!”

“Just shut up!” Gray yelled. And, obviously, he was standing in his underpants again.

“What is with that guy? Does he have something against clothes?” Kurogane asked.

“It’s nothing new” Cana answered, “He has a completely overpowering habit of taking off his clothes”

“DID YOU JUST TELL ME TO SHUT UP, FROST BRAIN?” Natsu roared.

“YEAH I DID. ALL YOUR BABBLING IS PISSING ME OFF, BIRD BRAIN” Gray yelled back.

Natsu picked up a glass and hurled it at Gray. He dodged, and it ended up hitting Elfman in the head.

“Stop acting like brats!” Elfman stomped to where Natsu and Gray were standing, “If you’re a man, speak with your fists!”

Natsu and Gray turned and punched Elfman together, “You’re in the way!”

Elfman went flying away and crashed into a table, pinning down a few people in the process.

And thus, began another brawl in the Fairy Tail guild hall. Mugs, chairs, tables… and even people went flying everywhere. The air was saturated with screams and shouts. Everyone kicked and punched anything that was moving around them, not caring what they hit.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?” Syaoran asked nervously as Vijeeter crashed into a chair next to him.

“Don’t worry about it” Levy shrugged, “I’m surprised it took them so long to get all rowdy”

Fai, on the other hand, was skimming across the edges of the fight, egging them on.

“Do your best everyone, meow~”

At that exact moment, Fai sauntered past Kurogane. The ninja clonked the blonde hard on his head, “Stop this nonsense will you”

“WOULD YOU BRAINLESS FOOLS CUT IT OUT!?” a voice boomed.

A gigantic figure standing near the end of the hall loomed over everyone. Every single person froze in mid-action. Silence rang through the hall.

“Hyuu~! He is enormous!” Fai giggled.

“THAT’S ENOUGH! I DECLARE THIS PRE-CELEBRATION OVER! GET OUT YOU LOUSY BASTARDS!”

“But Master…!” Cana whined.

“Master!?” Syaoran gasped, “But… Makarov-san was short!”

“Ah, our Master can use a type of magic called Giant” Mirajane explained, “It gives him the ability to vastly increase his size”

And thus ended the Hanami pre-celebration.

**XXX**

“Fairy Tail sure are a very interesting bunch” Fai said.

The dimensional travellers were given lodging in the dormitories in the guild building. The trio finally got a moment to themselves.

“They are too noisy” Kurogane mumbled, “But I guess they are ok”

“Not only that, the history of this country is very interesting too” Syaoran said, “The diversity of magic here is impressive. No wizard is like any other”

Syaoran then excitedly told them everything he had learnt from Levy. Fai and Kurogane didn’t understand half of what the boy said, but they indulged him anyway. It had been a while since he had spoken with such energy.

“You seem more like yourself now, Syaoran-kun” Fai noted when Syaoran finished.

The young boy gave the man a warm smile, “I do feel good now. I’m sorry if I worried you”

Kurogane reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, saying, “Don’t sweat it kid”

“Yeah, don’t apologise, Syaoran-kun” Fai said, “Anyway, we should get some good rest. If the pre-celebration was so lively, I can’t imagine what the actual party is going to be like”

**XXX**

Of course the party was going to be even more rambunctious.

The location had moved from the guild hall to the gardens in the centre of the town of Magnolia. There were more than a dozen sakura trees planted there, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. The branches were swaying in the gentle breeze. The wind riled up the delicate, pink sakura petals, sending them flying around. Numerous carpets and mats had been laid out on the soft grass in shade of the trees and Fairy Tail members milled around them, drinking and cheering and laughing. The citizens of Magnolia had steered clear of the gardens today – they knew it was best not to interrupt Fairy Tail during a party.

Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane were seated below one of tress, sipping sake out of their glasses, gazing up at the blossoms.

“No matter in which world we go, cherry blossom is always called Sakura” Fai said.

“Yeah” Syaoran sighed, his amber eyes rimmed with a touch of sadness as he followed a few petals swirling around him.

“Syaoran…?” Mokona hopped onto the boy’s shoulders and gently poked his cheeks, “Are you ok?”

“I’m alright, Mokona” Syaoran smiled, but not forced like before, “It’s a party, so let’s fun!”

“Aye sir!” a voice rang.

Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza were walking up to them. Happy plopped himself on Fai’s head.

“Do you guys mind if we join you?” Lucy asked.

“Not at all, Lucy-san” Syaoran said.

“Have you been enjoying your stay with us?” Erza asked.

“There has never been a dull moment!” Fai declared.

“That’s one way to put it” Kurogane mumbled.

“I think we should be flattered by that” Erza smiled, “You three must have seen some incredible things and met a lot of people in all your travels”

“We have, yes” Syaoran said, “But we have never met a group as loud as Fairy Tail”

Syaoran froze the moment the words tumbled out of his mouth. “What I meant was… I mean… I meant you all are very… lively...” he stammered, blushing furiously.

“Don’t worry about it” Gray laughed, “We use a lot more colourful vocabulary to describe ourselves”

“Yeah ease out, Syaoran-kun” Natsu said, thumping Syaoran on his back, “It’s all good”

“Your shouting is not all good” Gray muttered.

“I dare you to say that again, Ice Man” Natsu threatened.

“Are you picking a fight me, Flamethrower?” Gray snapped back.

“Natsu-san and Gray-san really are good friends” Syaoran laughed.

“No we are not!” they yelled together.

“I wouldn’t put it that way” Lucy sighed, “They bicker like 5 year olds all the time”

“But doesn’t that mean they are close, and that no matter how much they fight, they will always have each other’s back?” Syaoran offered, “Fai-san and Kurogane-san fight too, but they always look out for each other”

“True, true” Fai chirped, “Kuro-tan always looks out for me” while Kurogane just huffed in reply.

“That is a perfectly plausible explanation” Erza nodded in agreement.

“Syaoran-kun, you are very perceptive” Lucy said, making Syaoran blush with embarrassment again.

“And now we’ll begin the traditional Hanami Bingo tournament!” Mirajane announced, passing out tickets.

Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane and Mokona all of them were given tickets to play.

“Have you played Bingo before?” Lucy asked.

“Yes” Syaoran answered, “There was one world where we took part in a similar game”

“We won that one, didn’t we?” Kurogane said.

“Kuro-puu only remembers it because the prize was alcohol!” Mokona teased.

“Listen up you brats” Makarov called out, “We’ve got a bunch of high quality prizes this year. So everyone do your best!”

Cheers from the players echoed through the gardens.

“Everybody, please punch out the centre circle” Mirajane said.

When everybody was ready, Makarov plunged his hand into a bowl containing several bits of paper. He rummaged around for a while, then picked out one with a huff.

“The first number is 24!” he announced.

“Oh, I’ve got 24” Syaoran punched out the number on his ticket.

“Syaoran-kun is lucky” Happy pouted.

“The next number is 5!”

“Oh yes!” Elfman roared, “I got it! Getting the number is a sign of a man!”

Few more numbers were called out, more groans and cheers filled the air as people either cursed or thanked their luck.

“68 is the next number!” Mirajane announced.

“Bingo!” Erza cried out.

“Look at her go…” Gray sighed.

“Nicely done, Erza-san!” Fai cheered.

“This is ridiculous, I haven’t got a single hit” Kurogane grumbled.

Erza hopped to the front.

“So… what is my prize!?” she asked, unable to contain her excitement.

“My, my Erza. Looks like you were destined to win this one” Mirajane giggled, “The first prize is, a full, extra-large strawberry cake from Magnolia’s best bakery!”

“Strawberry Cake!” Erza’s eyes shined as she gingerly picked the round, pink and white cake and made her way back to where the others were seated.

“That is so lucky” Happy sighed, “Erza loves strawberry cake”

“Wah~! It looks so yummy!” Fai said wistfully.

“Fai loves cake too” Mokona giggled, “Fai loves everything sweet”

“Would you like to share?” Erza held out a fork.

“Really!? Thank you, Erza-san!” Fai accepted.

Both their tickets were forgotten as they attacked the cake.

More numbers were called, more bingos were declared, and more prizes were doled out. By the time the announcement was made that there was only one more prize remaining, the sun had begun to set. They were all bathed in the soft, golden evening light as Mirajane continued to call out numbers.

“115!”

“Heh… I got it!” Syaoran stared at his ticket in surprise, “Bingo!”

“There go all my dreams” Happy cried.

“Congratulations, Syaoran-kun” Lucy smiled.

“Well done, Syaoran-kun!” Makarov said as Syaoran stepped forward to claim the prize.

“This is final prize for this year’s Bingo tournament!” Mirajane announced, “A pair of tickets to a fancy hotel at Akane Resort for 3 days and 2 nights!”

“For two people?” Syaoran said thoughtfully, “Then I can’t take it. I would happy to give these tickets to someone who wants them”

The words had just left his mouth when a throng of people surrounded the chocolate haired boy.

“I will give them to my sisters! That’s the man thing to do!” Elfman said, his eyes twinkling.

“I will go on a vacation with Gray-sama!” Juvia declared firmly, although a faint blush was creeping across her pale cheeks.

“All you losers get out of the way!” Natsu roared, shoving everyone aside, “Syaoran-kun will give ME the tickets!”

In his excitement, Natsu spat out a few flames. A gust of wind carried one tiny spark towards Syaoran. The boy yelped and threw his arms in front of him. To everybody’s horror, the sparks fell on the tickets still in Syaoran’s hand. Needless to say, many vacation dreams went up in flames, literally.

“Can’t you use your brain even a little, you dimwit” Gray yelled.

“Don’t you dare lecture me, prince frostbite boxers!” Natsu yelled back.

“WHINY LITTLE FLICKER!”

“TALKING UNDERPANTS!”

The argument did not stop with an exchange of words; somehow fists got involved… first four, then the number went up to at least sixteen. Then came the feet. The famous all member Fairy Tail drunk riot began right smack in the middle of Magnolia.

“My, my. Took them long enough” Mirajane giggled.

“This is so exciting!” Fai sang, while Syaoran frantically tried to calm everyone down.

However, the madness didn’t last for long. An enormous wave of water suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The water crashed over the chaos of flailing arms and kicking feet. The wizards stopped fighting and tried there level best not to get carried away by the water, the effort sapping everybody’s energy. The raging waters finally parted to reveal a wailing Juvia.

“Juvia’s vacation! With Gray-sama! Is gone!”

“This insane” Kurogane growled, eyeing the dejected wizards trudging back to their seats, “I need another drink!”

“Kuro-papa is such a drunkard” Mokona teased, hopping just out the ninja’s reach.

“No one can be more of a drunkard then Cana” Happy said matter-of-factly.

“Let’s decide by a drinking competition then!” Cana said, hauling her sake barrel over.

“I don’t have time for such bullshit” Kurogane huffed.

“Oho! I see” Cana’s eyes glinted mischievously, “You are afraid of losing to a woman!”

“Bring it on!” Kurogane snapped.

And so they went. Both of them drank like monsters. They emptied glass after glass, barrel after barrel as every single member of Fairy Tail along with Syaoran and Fai watched with open jaws. Even after finishing all the sake that the guild had brought with them to the gardens, the duo refused to stop. Makarov ended up sending Max and Nab back to the guild building to get more alcohol.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Cana and Kurogane swayed dangerously where they sat, struggling to keep their glasses upright.

“You are some man” Cana hiccupped, drinking deeply from her glass.

“You are very impressive yourself” Kurogane emptied his glass and added, “Fill me up again!”

“They l-l-l-l-like each other” Happy and Mokona whispered.

“I think you will agree when I say this will be the final round that decides everything” Cana said, holding up her just filled mug.

“Let’s do it!” Kurogane roared, raising his own mug.

Both of them brought the glass up to their lips and emptied its contents in one go. After slamming their glasses into the ground, Cana and Kurogane were locked in a staring contest. The atmosphere was tense. Everybody waited with bated breath to see who would falter first. Finally, Cana flopped onto the grass, her eyes glazed over.

There was a second of pin drop silence before the entire guild erupted into a pit of deafening noise; some cheering, some groaning, some laughing their ass off.

“I don’t believe it! Cana! You made me lose a thousand jewel!” Macao wailed as Wakaba thumped his back saying, “Pay up, pay up”

“Kurogane-san! You are a man!” Elfman roared.

“Of course I am! No one challenges the strongest ninja of Japan!” Kurogane bellowed, his cheeks dusted with a faint shade of red.

“Fai-san… could it be… that Kurogane-san is drunk?” Syaoran asked, watching Kurogane who continued to roar nonsense with Gajeel and Elfman.

“I think the impossible has happened, Syaoran-kun” Fai rubbed his hands gleefully, “I am never going to let Kuro-buzzy forget this!”

When the sun had finally set completely and the velvet black sky was sprinkled with a few twinkling stars, the guild master called for order.

 “Alright, alright, settle down!” Makarov said, “It’s time!”

“It’s time for what?” Syaoran asked.

“The sakura in Magnolia are special” Lucy explained, “After sunset, they begin to glow in various colours. It’s called the Rainbow Sakura!”

“Rainbow Sakura!” Wendy trilled.

“But Lucy-chan, how can sakura be rainbow coloured?” Fai asked.

“You just have to wait and see” Lucy winked.

“How can you say that, Lucy?” Happy said, “This is your first time too”

Lucy gave an embarrassed laugh in response.

Slowly, all the lights in the gardens were switched off. Syaoran could just make out all the people staring up at the trees with anticipation. As they all looked, the cherry blossoms first began to glow softly, flooding the garden with pale pink light. Then as the glow intensified, the colour began to change. The flowers took on every hue of the rainbow and the garden was illuminated with various shades of orange, blue, red, green, yellow, and violet. A night breeze blew, sending the multi-coloured sakura tumbling down lazily all around them.

“This is just as beautiful as I imagined” Lucy sighed.

Syaoran stared up at the vibrant trees, speechless. It was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. As the rest of the guild members formed a huge circle around the biggest tree in the garden, all Syaoran could think about was his Sakura; all he could think about was how badly he wanted her to be with him right now. Syaoran swallowed the lump in his throat and stood up swiftly – he wanted to get away before Fai or Kurogane could see his discomfort. He didn’t want to worry them anymore.

“Syaoran-kun, are you going somewhere?” Fai asked.

“I’m just going to take a walk, Fai-san” Syaoran replied, struggling to keep his voice even.

Lucy was about to offer her company when Fai put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“He needs some time alone” Fai told her when Syaoran was out of earshot.

Syaoran walked as quickly as he could without drawing attention, stopping only when he reached the far end of the garden. He sighed and leaned against one of the cherry trees.

“Looking for some quiet too?”

Makarov stepped out of the shadows.

“Makarov-san!”

“I don’t blame you if you wanted to get away from all that racket. I have been a part of this guild since I was born and sometimes I feel like putting a tongue-lock spell on all those bastards” Makarov laughed heartily.

“I think Fairy Tail is amazing, Makarov-san. Me, Fai-san, Kurogane-san and Mokona are having a very good time here”

“And still, there is something bothering you”

Syaoran hesitated. But after a moment’s thought he said, “I have been travelling with Fai-san and Kurogane-san quite some time now. But not long ago, another person used to travel with us too”

“Now that person cannot travel with you anymore?”

Syaoran nodded.

“And you miss that person a lot”

“Yes” Syaoran sighed.

“I understand” Makarov said solemnly, “When you don’t see someone whom you care about for a very long time, your mind starts putting them in the back of your thoughts, so that your heart doesn’t have to feel the pain of missing them. Soon you start thinking about them less and less and then one day, you realise you are smiling without them. And when you realise that, you become afraid – afraid that you will forget them. And then comes another fear… what if they are forgetting you too. Every time you pass by a place where you spent time with that person, when you hear someone say the same things as that person, that’s all you can think about – what if that person begins to forget you”

Syaoran’s breath hitched. This is what has been plaguing him ever since he left Clow a second time.

“But… there is something else too” Makarov continued, “When you be with someone, eat, drink and laugh with them, the connection formed is precious, unbreakable. When you get through difficulties and have each other’s back, you become a part of a whole. You form a bond. Of course, when you are away from such people, the bond is tested. But if you trust your feelings… and you trust that bond that exists, no matter how far apart you are, the bond only gets stronger with time”

Syaoran absorbed every single word.

“So trust the bond you have with this person. Trust that no matter how much you smile today, your heart will yearn to go back to that person tomorrow. And trust, that person feels the same about you as well. There is nothing wrong in being happy on this journey of yours, Syaoran-kun. After all, that person will also want you to be happy, right?”

Makarov’s words deeply embedded themselves in Syaoran’s mind and he felt a weight being lifted off his chest.

“You are right” Syaoran smiled, “Thank you, Makarov-san. I really needed that”

“So tell me, Syaoran-kun, what is her name?” Makarov teased.

Syaoran blushed furiously as he stammered, “Makarov-san… how did you… I mean…”

Makarov cackled at his reaction, “I wasn’t born yesterday you know”

“Her name… is Sakura”

“Sakura is it? Just like the cherry blossoms. I would like to meet her someday”

“I’m sure she would love to meet you too”

**XXX**

The days Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane spent in Fairy Tail were just as eventful as the first two.

Syaoran spent most his time with Levy, Lucy and Freed, learning about the nature of magic of that world. Fai, when he wasn’t busy drinking with Cana (who wouldn’t stop complaining about Kurogane), followed Erza around and together they raided almost every bakery in Magnolia. Kurogane spent his time sparring with Lily and Gajeel. Gray and Natsu joined in from time to time (when they temporarily stopped fighting with each other that is). Mokona spent all her time giving Happy tips on how to impress Carla.

Of course, they also took part in Fairy Tail’s 24 hour endurance race. In a miraculous turn of events, Happy came first, Wendy and Carla tied at second place, while Syaoran bagged the third spot. Fai, along with Erza, had quickly crossed the goal along with crowd. Kurogane, on the other hand, ended up in the loser team with Natsu, Gray, Gajeel and Jet. He had nearly torn the hair off his head when he heard the Master announce the punishment (“A photo spread, with women’s clothing! No way a man would do that!” he had yelled. Yes, yes. Elfman was kinda rubbing off on him). But Makarov decided that he would be exempted from the punishment since he was not a Fairy Tail wizard, much to Fai’s disappointment. (“But I had already begun designing a frilly red ball-gown for Kuro-tan!” Fai had cried into Syaoran’s shoulder)

Another highlight moment was when Magnolia went into Gildarts shift. Syaoran was utterly fascinated and spent the next two days in the Magnolia Central Library, pouring over the city’s blueprints (Of course the public isn’t given access to such documents, but after a few ~~threats~~ recommendations from Fairy Tail’s strongest team, Syaoran got them with no problems). Fai had waved it off as if it was no big deal. Kurogane couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that they re-designed an entire city for just one man. He and Cana sat and drank away till the wee hours of the morning that day (Probably the only time she didn’t complain about the ninja).

And then, ten days after the trio crash landed into the guild hall, Mokona’s earring began to glow.

“It’s time to go!” Mokona announced.

“Heh? So soon!” Lucy asked.

“There is nothing we can do” Syaoran explained, “When that earring glows, it’s time for us to leave”

“Thank you for having us you guys!” Fai waved enthusiastically. A magic circle appeared and the wind began to swirl around them.

“You all better get your butts back here soon!” Natsu yelled, “I still have so much to show you”

“Have a safe journey” Erza smiled.

“I will be looking forward to sparring with you again” Gajeel told Kurogane, who grinned.

“You better improve by then”

And with that, the ground enveloped them whole in a brilliant flash of light. A second later, they were gone.

“Well… that was interesting…” Gray said.

“I do hope we see them again” Lucy sighed.

“I’m sure they will back sooner or later” Makarov said, “Friends have a way of finding each other after all”

**XXX**

“Where did we land this time?” Kurogane asked, picking himself off the ground.

They had dropped right in front of a small, cosy looking, white washed building.

“Honey! Don’t worry, I will go out to check that noise” a voice sounded from inside.

“That voice sounds familiar…” Syaoran said thoughtfully.

“It’s Sorata!” Mokona trilled.

Soon enough, the said man emerged from the entrance. When saw the people standing in front of his building, he stopped in his tracks and his jaw fell to the floor.

“We’re back, Sorata-san!” Fai waved.

“Welcome back you guys!” Sorata recovered from his shock.

“Hey kid, you okay?” Kurogane asked as they began walking in.

Syaoran thought about it for a moment. Seeing the place where he had begun his journey with Sakura a lifetime did make him miss her a lot. But there wasn’t that crushing weight on his chest anymore.

“I am Kurogane-san. Everything will be alright”

**Author's Note:**

> A few changes have been made in the Fairy Tail timeline to help the story. Hanami takes place after the Edoloas arc and Natsu and his team don't go for the job at Mt. Hakobe, so Lucy doesn't fall sick. Everyone is happy ;)


End file.
